Rail joint



. June 3 1924.

7 1,496,205 BRYANT RAIL JOINT Filed July 23, 1923 gwvmtoz Wil rzass. I u

Patented June 3, 1924 LOUIS BRYANT, OF CANTON, MISSISSIPPI.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed July 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUis BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Madison and State of Mis- 5 sissippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail'joints, and has particular reference to devices of that kind known as scarf joints.

An object of the invention is to provide a durable and simple form of joint which eliminates the necessity of employing separate fish plates or like joining members.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a scarf joint by means of which considerable pounding at the joints is prevented, through the use of which expansion and contraction is taken care of, and by means of which a durable joint is had.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the ac companying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a rail joint constructed in accordance with the presentinvention,

Figure 2 is a top plan View, partly broken away and in section, of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an elevational view of one of the rail ends,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is transverse sectional view through the rail oint shown in Figure 1 adjacent the fastening bolts thereof.

Referring more in detail to the invention, the same embodies the provision of rail ends 5 and 6 which consist in substantially vertical half-sections of the rail ends arranged in overlapping relation and provided with thickened web portions 7 which are reduced in height at their free ends as at 8 and also in thickness so as to overlap the web 9 of the rail.

The overlapping end 6 is formed with 1923. Serial No. 653,124.

a plurality of screw threaded openings as at 10 into which are threaded bolts 11 which extend freely through horizontal longitudinally elongated slots 12 provided in the other end 5, the heads of the bolts 11 being of greater width than the slot 12 so that when said bolts are tightened, th overlap ping ends 5 and 6 are maintained in contiguous relation although capable of sliding longitudinally relative to each other. In order to prevent turning of the bolts 11 out of the opening 10, or in other words, in order to efiectively prevent accidental displace ment of the bolts for destruction of the rail joint, means is provided for retaining these bolts against rotation and the same consists in suitable pins 13 which are driven through oblique openings 14 in the heads of the bolts 11 to and into the slot 12 of the rail ends 5.

It will be seen that a rail joint constructed in accordance with the above eliminates the necessity of employing objectional nuts and separate fish plates or the like, and provides a very durable joint capable of being easily and quickly assembled without the re quirements of special tools or skilled labor.

It will be noted that the construction provides for the ready expansion and contraction of the joined rails, and the advantages f the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the above.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is A scarf rail joint including a pair of rail sections having reduced ends disposed side by side in overlapped relation and longitudinally movable on each other, one of said ends being provided with horizontal longitudinally elongated slots, the other of said ends being provided with screw threaded sockets, bolts passing loosely through said slots and threaded into said sockets, and means associated with the slotted rail end and the heads of the bolts for preventing accidental rotation of the latter, said last named means embodying keys passing through oblique openings in the heads of the bolts and entering the slots of said rail ends.

In testimony whereof I afilx my signature.

LOUIS BRYANT. 

